Try
by AmberKendsLacy
Summary: Adric always tried to fit into the TARDIS crew, but after constant arguments and mistakes, one has to wonder why they bother trying. Takes place during Earthshock. Part of Classic Companion One-shot Saga


Adric stomped furiously into his room, shouting on last retort at the angry Australian in the hallway before slamming his bedroom door in her face, taking a moment to relax his breathing and calm his angry demeanor before he did anything else.

The Alzarian walked over to the notebook he kept on his desk, flipping through a few pages and mumbling to himself on the mistakes he had made in the calculations, using a pen to scratch out every few lines of numbers and writing in their replacements, the results adding a little self-confidence that the argument with a certain air hostess had broken down earlier, what with the both of them scathingly pointing out the others' faults.

He had never meant to start arguments while he was in the TARDIS, but it seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he always seemed to infuriate someone enough for them to go off at him, resulting in him retorting and vice-versa. Honestly he sometimes wondered why he bothered trying to fit into the TARDIS crew when it seemed like no one really liked him and he really wasn't that useful to the group.

The teen had remembered when he had first, erm... 'Joined' the TARDIS, the library of course being the first of the many rooms that he was interested in. One day while walking through the library, searching for as many math related books he could find, he came across a kind of photo book.

The pictures were all of people, most likely companions that the Doctor had of course traveled with. He remembered being slightly jealous of the stronger builds on the male companions and how much taller they were compared to him.

Adric would like say that it didn't really bother him that much, that he knew his brain was far more advanced than those humans could hope, but it never seemed to make him feel better. The Alzarian had tried talking to the Doctor about his problems, but well...

The Doctor, though he was a brilliant mathematician, Biologist and, well basically just about everything ending in 'ist'. He was rubbish at talking to teenagers, and would often avoid talking to Adric about anything that had 'uncomfortable' and 'inadequate' in the same sentence.

Even his last regeneration also seemed a little uncomfortable talking to the boy about anything besides piloting the TARDIS and computer computations, leaving the poor teen to make sure that it was all they ever talked about as he hated the awkward silence that use to follow from any other conversation.

So that left the mathematically excellent alien at rather an awkward point. Should he stay and have this awkward feeling of not really belonging to the group continue, or should he just leave at the next available opportunity?

But where would that be? As far as Adric knew, the Doctor, though he liked to say otherwise, was not in control of his TARDIS. (The ongoing stint with Heathrow being excellent evidence of that fact.) So where they might end up next could be well, just about anywhere.

Adric puzzled on this question for a little longer, his pen moving quick to preserve any last calculations he had in his head before this thought process sprang up, not wanting anything to go to waste. Eventually the brown hired teen started to see a pattern in his calculations, ones he had seen before, a long time ago on...

Logopolis!

Adric quickly looked over the calculations again, his eyes growing wider with excitement as his skill finally came into use for his problem for once. The teen kept on writing the calculations, the numbers and additions all connecting logically, like they should be.

If he did this right, then could go home to Terradon!

That thought stopped him from writing any further, the pen dropped back on his desk as he layed back on his bed. Did he want to go back? If he did what would he do?

He had no family left on Alzarius or Terradon, his parents were long dead and Varsh...

Adric reached his hand into his pocket, grasping the 'sash' his brother had given him before he died, hugging it to his chest as he remembered his older brothers screams for help as he was dragged away by the Marsh men. He decidedly pushed that last memory away as he could feel a reasonably large lump beginning to grow in his throat.

He had often wondered, during his times of self-loathing, how Varsh would have handled traveling in time and space. He was sure Varsh would have been much better at it than Adric as the elder of the two had always had the most street smarts and strength, leaving Adric with so little to go on besides trusting his brother to help him out of a situation he had undoubtedly put himself into.

But now Varsh was gone, and just as he was beginning to trust the Doctor, he went and changed his face, leaving him with no one he could really trust. So he decided instead to just trust himself and no one else, trying to get himself out of his own situations alone in the hopes that he would someday be like his brother, or at least like the companions in the photos.

This of course only ended in him getting into trouble by the rest of the group as his own way was barely ever the 'right' way, the recent argument with Tegan being an excellent show of that.

The teen sighed and placed the sash back in his pocket, already knowing that his current foul mood was likely to transgress over the rest of the day, no doubt irritating someone enough to start another fight.

So for the moment of peace he was allowed, Adric pulled the notebook back in front of him and lay on his stomach, while not exactly being the most comfortable of positions to write in, it did help him think. This went on for a few more minutes, his mood surprisingly lightening before it was lowered back down again by the knocking on his door.

The Doctor had never really been one for waiting for permission and he walked in, the book they had gained from the Cranleigh's in his hand, a look of 'educational purpose' written all over his face.

You didn't have to be a master of Block Transfer Computation to figure out what would happen next...

* * *

After a reasonably large attack from some cave dwelling androids, Adric was pleased as ever to have some time to relax before they took off after android's controllers. He was about to go into the kitchen for a sandwich or something when the Doctor stopped him.

They talked for a bit, apologies were swapped and it did manage to make the alien teen feel allot better. He had decided during the little scuffle with the androids in the cave that he really did want to stay with the crew, though he would have to try to change his selfish attitude and trust people a lot more.

Providing he made it through this venture first.

* * *

Adric stood on the bridge of the freighter, watching the Earth slowly approach, holding his brother's sash tightly in his hands as he waited for the end.

He wasn't really afraid of dying, in fact when he first joined the TARDIS the Doctor had (awkwardly) informed him of the dangers of traveling with him, just like he did for any other companion that joined him. So Adric was always aware from that point on the danger he was putting himself in, and did so with as much care as he could.

Today he had tried to be just that much braver, to stop caring for himself more than others, and look where it put him. Really it was just proof that he was never made out for this type of life.

"Now I'll never know if I was right."

_But I did try._

Then the end came, and he didn't feel a thing.

* * *

**Okay, please review if you can, constructive criticism welcome. **


End file.
